UPDATE: I hear the table read went great. Co-creator Christopher Lloyd helped break the ice and overcome the initial awkwardness with a joke how everyone seemed to be in the wrong place for the failed Tuesday table read. Everything went smoothly from there, and the season premiere script by Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh got thumbs-up. As for contract renegotiations, the adult actors’ reps are meeting with 20th TV bosses at 2 PM this afternoon.

EARLIER: Two days after it was originally scheduled, production on the fourth season of Modern Family officially just got under way with the hit comedy’s first table read. All cast members showed up for the rescheduled 10:30 AM table read after all adults but Ed O’Neill skipped it on Tuesday, instead filing a lawsuit against producing studio 20th Century Fox TV in the two sides’ salary dispute. The complaint was amended yesterday to include O’Neill. You can read it here. (The young Modern Family co-stars were on duty both times.) The good-will gesture is expected to help restart negotiations, which were put on ice by the legal action.

14 Comments

I smell blood in the water. This will be a Dsyfunctional Family I’m afraid. Fox doesn’t like to be put up against the wall when it comes to talent money disputes. Good luck Family.

Anonymous • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

“Good-Will Gesture”/”Contractual Obligation”

cougar town is better • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

who cares? mediocre show with far too much undeserved fanfare. they could stand to lose half that cast anyways. cut the fat. (not referring specifically to stonestreet…)

work for CT? • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Mediocre, are you serious? Cougartown on the the hand…

brutony • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Erics the best part-cut the fat, lol!

Book Guy • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Our long national nightmare is over.

Skippy • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Comment of the day!

Mar • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Agree. Unpspeakable terror has been lifted.

We can all breathe easily again. The millionaires are saved!

shasha • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

win!! thank goodness

Anonymous • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Sounds like a strongly-worded breach letter was sent to everyone.

oh Boy • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

The sharks are circling. Watch your back, Family-ites.

Atlanta • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Where would any of these actors be without the creative team, still B & C actors looking for their big break.

Isa • on Jul 26, 2012 10:37 am

Actors have to make their money when they have the hot hand.so many of them disappear into obscurity after a show ends its run.Modern family will make hundreds of millions in syndication.They can afford to share the wealth.barely 10% of all actors have steady work.think about all the hot or honored shows over the years and how few of theirs stars had work afterwards.What was hotter than Hill Street Blues and yet only a few of its stars continued working as directors in later years.v eronica Hamel and her beloved Pizza Man didn’t have much of a career afterward. What was hotter than Miami Vice?Remember co-star Paul Michael Thomas claiming he was going for an Emmy,Grammy, Oscar,Golden Globe etc?Well nobody else does…get the point?

Can someone please tell me why all of these actors want so much money.i realize the hours are long but I work 12 hrs a day 6 days a week and don’t make that kind of money. why do they think they should and the same with sports there work is a little more grueling but I don’t think they deserve what they are paid either. All of these people made a choice to do what they do for a career like the rest of us but I don’t get a raise of 55,000.00 for my 4 year I will stop watching modern family if they get there raises its incredible